We use the personal data we collect from you for a range of different business purposes according to different legal bases of processing and subject to the choices you make in your settingd. We do this with the help of automated systems and decision making. Please be aware that when we refer to automated decision making, we will not use any profiling that produces legal effects concerning you or, similarly, significantly affects you. Automated decisions are concerned with content that may be more relevant for you than other content. We use your personal data to:

• Provide, Improve, and Develop the Platform - We process your personal data primarily for the adequate performance of our contract with you. We may also process your personal data in light of our legitimate interest in improving the Platform and giving our users the best experience. We do this to:

  • Operate and maintain your SoundCloud account, and to provide you with access to and use of the Platform. Your email address and password are used to identify you when you log into the Platform. Your device-IDs are used to ensure that you are in control of the devices that have access to your Subscription.

  • Identify you as the creator of the Tracks that you upload, the comments that you post and/or the other contributions that you make to the Platform.

  • Provide creators with stats and insights about users’ listening behavior of their Tracks, (i.e. streaming and downloading their Tracks or following their profiles).

  • Conduct surveys and research, test features in development, and analyze the information we have to evaluate and improve products and services, develop new features, and conduct audits and troubleshooting activities.

  • If purchasing a Subscription, to process your account subscription and renewals and to collect your payment with the use of payment verification information.

  • Send you service updates and notifications about your account, unless you opt out from such notifications.

  • Respond to you about any comment or enquiry you have submitted.

  • Enable age restrictions.

• Maintain a Safe and Secure Environment - We also process your personal data in light of our legitimate interest in improving the security of the Platform (including the security of your personal data) in order to give our users the best experience, and where it is necessary for the adequate performance of our contract with you. This includes:

  • The detection and prevention of fraud, spam, abuse, security incidents, and other suspicious activity.

  • The verification and authentication of your identity to prevent unauthorized or illegal activity.

  • The enhancement of the safety and security of our products and services.

  • The conducting of security investigations and risk assessments.

  • The prevention or action against activities that are, or may be, in breach of our Terms of Use, Community Guidelines or applicable law.

  • The ability to provide you with customer and technical support.

• Personalize Content, Advertising and Marketing - We process your personal data in this case based on your consent. You can revisit your choices in your settingsor in our cookie consent tool. This includes:

  • To improve your experience on the Platform by providing personalized content, recommendations, and features.

  • To customize the content and measure performance of any email, push notification, or in-app message we may send to you.

  • To administer sweepstakes, contests, or other promotional activities or events sponsored or managed by Habesha Zefen or its partners.

  • To deliver targeted marketing for SoundCloud products on and off the Platform and measure the success of those campaigns. When seeing our ads on third party websites or apps, we or third party services we engage with for this purpose may collect personal data. This personal data includes the information that your browser or mobile app makes available when seeing the ad (e.g IP address, referral URL, browser details, timestamp of request). For example, if a click on our ad converted to an actual purchase of a subscription.

  • To help us select which ads to show you on behalf of advertisers, as ads are more effective when they are shown to people who are likely to be interested in the product or service advertised. This includes personal data you choose to provide to us (e.g. age and gender) and make available to us when you interact with the Platform (e.g. by listening, liking or creating playlists), as well as device information and general location data. We may also display ads based on the page you’re on or Materials you have recently viewed, searched, or listened to. This allows us to show you ads that will likely be more relevant and interesting to you.

  • To collect certain personal data such as cookie data and device information, if we engage with third party services such as ad-networks and exchanges that enable us to show you targeted ads. That personal data is used to sync or match users to segments and serve targeted advertising, based on device activity, inferred interests, and general location information.

  • To combine personal data that we collect about you with personal data from business partners and use it to serve more relevant advertising.

  • Combine information we collect about you with information from business partners and use it to serve more relevant advertising.

• Newsletters - If you register on our website to receive our newsletter, we collect your email address and your name and save this information together with the date of registration and your IP address. You will then receive an email in which you must confirm your decision to subscribe to the newsletter (double opt-in). If you do not confirm your newsletter subscription within 72 hours, it will automatically expire and the personal data will not be processed for sending the newsletter. We will send the newsletter directly using our own system (Braze).Your personal data will not be passed on to third parties or processors. In the case that you do not confirm your subscription within 72 hours, we will delete the personal data that you provided. After successful confirmation, we will save your personal data until you withdraw your consent (unsubscribe from the newsletter) and for technical reasons beyond this for a maximum of 21 days. This processing is based on your consent. By unsubscribing from the newsletter, you can withdraw your consent at any time with future effect.

• Market Research Studies - Based on our legitimate interest, from time to time we will ask you to participate in market research studies and surveys or to do research studies based on anonymized and/or pseudonymized data. There is no obligation to participate in our studies. In the case that you do participate, it will be based on the consent you provide when answering the survey. We deem that the use of anonymized and/or pseudonymized data is covered by our legitimate interest as we will only use such analysis to further improve our research and Platform for the benefit of understanding your needs and enhancing your experience. We will only use the data you provide when answering the market study for other reasons, such as customized product recommendations or notifications based on your consent which you provide ahead of your participation in the market study.

• Operate and Maintain Habesha Zefen Direct Monetization - In the event you use the services of SoundCloud Direct, we use the personal data provided by you to operate and maintain your monetization and/or distribution with SoundCloud Direct. The personal data will be used to calculate the eligible revenue to be paid out to you and affect the payments into your PayPal account or any other accepted payment provider.